[ad_1]
Syracuse, N.Y. – As Syracuse football running back Moe Neal bolted down the Carrier Dome field on the first play of the second half, two Louisville defenders writhed in pain back near the line of scrimmage.
>>Box score
Cardinals safety Khane Pass had laid out to tackle Neal around the SU 30-yard line, but missed and took out his teammate, linebacker Yasir Abdullah, below the knees in the process.
Orange quarterback Eric Dungey waved on medical staffers before skipping up the field, where he would ultimately cap off the drive with a 2-yard rushing touchdown.
The play encapsulated 13th-ranked SU’s 54-23 victory over U of L perfectly; Syracuse (8-2, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) came out ready to play while Louisville (2-8, 0-7) couldn’t get out of its own way. After four years of embarrassing beat-downs and cringe-worthy moments at the hands of the Cardinals, the Orange finally exacted some revenge on Friday night in front of the largest Dome crowd of the season (42,797).
The victory finished off an undefeated home slate and set up the most important contest in recent program history — a matchup with No. 3 Notre Dame in Yankee Stadium next week. SU likely needs a win to keep its dreams of a New Year’s Six bowl alive. The Fighting Irish will be playing for big stakes as well, looking to preserve their spot in the College Football Playoffs.
But before that, Dungey said during player interviews on Tuesday, Syracuse had to “right wrongs” against Louisville.
The Cardinals had won all four of the teams’ matchups since 2014, each providing SU with a tinge of humiliation. The last two years, former Heisman Trophy quarterback Lamar Jackson ran around and over the Orange defense as U of L put up 118 total points. In 2015, Dungey was left in late in a blowout at Louisville and took a season-ending hit to the head. And in 2014, a comedy of errors led to Scott Shafer melting down and referencing ISIS in his postgame press conference before demoting George McDonald from offensive coordinator.
“It’s embarrassing, really,” Dungey said.
For about half an hour on Friday night, it appeared Syracuse would have to work for its payback. Junior Sean Riley muffed a punt after SU’s defense started the game with a 3-and-out. Dungey raised his arms in frustration after a pair of 3rd-and-5 handoffs to Dontae Strickland finished short of the sticks. Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham gashed the Orange for a 64-yard run.
But, quite simply, Louisville was too sloppy to keep up with even an average performance from the Orange. The Cardinals committed 10 first-half penalties and four turnovers in the first half — two of which were unforced fumbles in the backfield. Drops by receivers and defensive backs limited Louisville to just one touchdown before the break while SU made use of ideal field position to score 37.
Neal, a junior, broke off a 67-yard scoring scamper midway through the second quarter before finishing with eight rushes for 159 yards and two scores. Redshirt freshman kicker Andre Szmyt made all four of his field goals, pulling within four of the single-season NCAA record.
Dungey, who also rushed for two touchdowns, turned in a fitting final frame to his Carrier Dome career, drop-kicking a Louisville defender on a hurdle attempt before connecting with sophomore Nykeim Johnson for a 64-yard touchdown with 13:44 to play. The score pushed the Orange’s lead to 51-14 and set a school record for 50-plus point games in a season with five.
Syracuse head coach Dino Babers pulled Dungey off with about four minutes left. As the two-time captain pointed toward the stands while walking off, the roughly 15,000 remaining fans gave him an extended standing ovation. They chanted his name multiple times over the final moments.
Syracuse-Notre Dame kicks off at 2:30 p.m. next Saturday with a potential College GameDay announcement coming later this weekend. The game will be televised on NBC.
Follow Syracuse football on Twitter and Facebook
Stephen Bailey covers Syracuse football for The Post-Standard/Syracuse.com. You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can also be reached anytime via email.
[ad_2]
Source link
